


Mirror of Origin

by Former_Princess



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Blood, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Guns, Injury, M/M, Minor Character Death, Swearing, Tomb Raider, Violence, but only bad guys die I swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-10-18 23:58:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17590886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Former_Princess/pseuds/Former_Princess
Summary: Liam is a young, reckless archaeologist who loves nothing more than to climb into old tombs and find out about ancient cultures, as well as retrieve lost artifacts. On his hunt for the Mirror of Origin, he meets a mysterious group of people claiming they have the same agenda as Liam himself: Rescue old artifacts from the ruins around the world and exhibit them for the people to see them or keep them locked away to avoid them falling into the wrong hands. Especially one of their mercenaries, Theo, makes it hard for Liam to accept working with them in order to get this one special artifact cause Theo and Liam butt heads since their first meeting. When things turn for the worst, however, both have to work together to literally save the world from getting destroyed by an ancient power and maybe, just maybe, they realize the other isn’t as obnoxious as they thought…





	1. 1

Liam wormed his way through a crack in the stonewall and bit back a cough when his movement caused dust to float into the air. He blinked a few times, eyes slowly adjusting to the drastic change from beaming sunlight outside to the dim and shadowy light inside the tomb. He tilted his head and listened to any sounds coming from within but aside from the smaller rocks falling down every now and then and some scorpions scurrying over the rocky ground, nothing extraordinaire reached his ears. 

“Okay, I’m in,” he announced and two fingers of his left hand came up to lightly press against the little headset he was wearing in his left ear. His only connection to Mason and Corey right now. 

Liam looked around. He stood on a small ledge in an otherwise almost empty passage leading to a crawlway just a few feet away from him. Surely not the main entrance to what Liam was looking for but it would do. So he hopped off the ledge and knelt in front of the opening to peek inside. Nothing but dust and sand, no traps. “Let’s see where this will lead me.” He ducked his head and slowly crawled into the opening. 

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Corey asked into his left ear.   
Mason huffed out a laugh. “Sometimes I think Liam loves crawling through tombs so much, he would even do it knowing full well it’s the wrong place.”  
Liam grinned while he crawled further and further. “You know, there’s just something about exploring a tomb that way. Should try it too sometime.”  
“I’ll pass,” Mason muttered and Liam heard the clatter of a keyboard. “You are too far into the mountain right now, I can’t determine your exact location.”   
“It’s okay. Seems pretty peaceful right now,” Liam comforted his best friend.   
“You said the same thing back in Syria, shortly before a gun was pressed to your temple,” Corey reminded him and Mason let out a series of distressed sounds.   
“Do you have to remind me, babe?”  
Liam rolled his eyes and smiled fondly while Corey sighed into his ear. He had lost count how often Mason had voiced his worry about Liam literally risking his life in the name of exploring and archaeology and how often the two friends argued about it, even before Corey came into the team. Corey, Mason’s boyfriend, and basically Liam’s other best friend proved to be great at providing a middle ground between Mason and Liam since he too was worried about Liam but also took it a bit more lightly than Mason did. Doesn’t mean he always got away without a discussion.   
“He will be fine, Mase. He’s far away from a warzone right now. Besides, Liam is a big boy, he can watch out for himself.”  
“Have you met him? I sometimes wonder how he even reached the age of twenty-three,” Mason squeaked.   
“Thanks to your unconditional love and care?” Corey asked sweetly. 

“You two are aware I can hear you?” Liam asked while he reached the end of the crawlway and swiftly came to his feet again in a large chamber. He looked around and for a moment it took his breath away. The walls were covered in colorful murals, color bleached out with the ages but still impressive nonetheless, showing various situations with the same group of people, follower of a once powerful emperor. One mural showed the Emperor and his followers crossing a wild river, one showed them infiltrating a village, another one them all fighting another group. With a happy laugh, Liam pulled his camera out of his pocket and filmed every single mural.   
“To answer your question, Corey, this is the right place. I found The Emperor’s tomb.” 

He pointed the camera towards the middle of the room where a sarcophagus had been placed on a little rising. Some part of the ceiling had been worn down by the weather over the decades and had fallen to the ground, so the sun was streaming through the cracks and onto the beautifully crafted thing, embellished with gems and golden symbols. “This is incredible.”  
“Your instinct was right again, congratulations.” Mason seemed really happy about this and Liam heard Corey whoop as well. “And you think the Mirror of Origin is in the sarcophagus?”  
“It has to. I researched everything about Ferguson’s expeditions. From what he wrote in his entries, he found it and then brought it to a safe place. That’s what I made out of the gibberish he wrote. Old man got a tiny bit paranoid at the end of his days. Lord knows why. He wrote about the Emperor a lot too, it makes sense he would take the artifact and put it into a tomb without any relation, in a different country even. Emperor and the Mirror were the two biggest things he researched. If it’s not here, it is probably lost forever.”

While he had talked, Liam had wandered around in the chamber before he rounded the sarcophagus and took pictures of every side of the sarcophagus. Only when he had every angle and every detail on film, Liam put away his camera. “I’m about to open it.”

He took a step closer and felt the ground under his right boot sink in. It took his brain only seconds to register and he barely had time to stumble back when spears shot out of the ground and surrounded the sarcophagus in a circle.   
“Holy shit!” Liam wheezed and stared at the very dangerous and very spiky wooden laths from where he had fallen flat on his ass.   
“Was that a trap? Did you just trigger a trap? You did trigger a trap, am I right?” Mason scolded him and Liam gulped.   
“Fuck, almost got served Liam on a stick.”  
“Dammit, Liam, what did we say about being careless?”  
“Are you okay though?” Corey asked and Liam nodded, even though they could not see him.   
“Yeah. Shook but still without any unnecessary holes in my body.”

He got to his feet again and dusted his palms up. Then he narrowed his eyes at the spears and circled the trap. His eyes trailed over the ground to see any mechanism that could revert the trap. And finally, he found some lighter looking stone in the ground and grabbed one of his pistols. A quick shot on the trigger and the spears retracted into the ground.   
„Hah!“ Liam let out a triumphant yell and then took a large step over the spots the spears had shot out from. Only when he safely stood right next to the sarcophagus, he let out a relieved breath. This seemed safe, for now. He had encountered too many tombs and traps to ever feel completely safe but this was a start.  
“Just be careful,” Mason mumbled when Liam anxiously pushed the lid aside. Old graves sometimes had yet another trap inside the sarcophagus, better safe than sorry. However, this time nothing happened and when Liam peeked inside, he knew why.

The sarcophagus was empty.

“What? This can’t be happening! It’s empty! That’s…that’s impossible!” Liam could not believe his eyes. There had to be a joke and he even reached inside to find a false bottom inside the sarcophagus but there was none.  
He lurched back and luckily managed not to trigger the spears again, even though Liam already felt like he had been speared. It had been months since he started to research the Emperor and Ferguson’s expeditions. Months full of dead ends and promising clues that almost always ended in yet another disappointment until he finally found that one trail that lead him to where he was now. And now it was yet another dead end? This was more than he could grasp.  
“It’s empty? So, this isn’t the right place?” Corey questioned hesitantly.  
Liam groaned and ran both hands through his hair while he paced back and forth. “It is the right place! This is the Emperor’s tomb, he is just not there!”  
“Do you mean somebody else got him and took him away?” That was Mason this time.  
Liam groaned again. “I don’t know! It seems unlikely. Must have missed something. But what did I miss? Where did I go wrong? Where was my mistake?”

He glared at the mural of the Emperor fighting another army. “What you’re looking at?” He barked at the stupid painted guy who – of course – didn’t answer. Liam’s glare intensified and if looks could kill, the wall probably would have exploded under the force of his scowl. He eyed the way the Emperor swung his word and looked at the enemies in his path. Stupid painting of a stupid guy with his stupid sword and his stupid horse and his stupid way of peering at…  
“What you’re looking at?” Liam asked again, less furious this time, and he stepped closer to the mural. The Emperor was not really looking at his enemies upon closer inspection, seemed to be looking over their heads. Liam followed his line of sight and turned around. He had expected the Emperor to eye his own sarcophagus but the angle was too far left for that to work. He peeked at a naked wall instead. Liam frowned. Either the creator of his mural had seriously been drinking while working or that had been intended. He slowly stepped closer to the wall and ran his hands over it. Aside from a small cleft in the wall, nothing too special. And yet Liam could not shake the thought the painting was a hint.  
He had always been one to listen to his instincts, his mom used to tell him it was one of his strongest traits and would lead him far in life, and while others saw it as impulsive and it sometimes got him into big trouble, Liam never let this trait get taken away from him. It had lead him to so many great things already in his life and so he grabbed his climbing axe and rammed it into the cleft.  
“Are you breaking things again?” Corey inquired when pieces of the wall crumbled loudly and fell to the floor but Liam refused to answer. He didn’t have to anyway, his friends knew him. He rather kept working on making the cleft bigger to see what was behind this wall.

And finally, it was big enough Liam could worm his way through. A quick first look behind the wall confirmed his suspicion, there was yet another chamber carefully hidden behind the first one. Liam slipped inside and waved some cob webs away. The second chamber was a lot smaller than the first one and way less splendid. Light only fell through small holes up in the otherwise rough stone wall of the mountain the whole tomb was hidden in. Left and right were some swords, shields, and armors placed, maybe once placed on wooden shelves which had fallen apart over the decades. And on the end of the chamber stood yet another sarcophagus, plain, made from simple wood and with artsy carvings but nothing compared to the gems and gold from the first. At first glance, this was probably a servant’s grave, buried with their master in the first chamber, a common practice for the Emperor’s followers as Liam knew. The weapons were probably belongings from the warlord once buried here, that’s what it looked like at least. Yet Liam didn’t let it fool him. He had tapped into the clever illusion at first as well but he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

“Whatever it is you found now, we’re losing you. The connection….” Mason’s voice had been distorted while he spoke and then failed altogether when the connection had been lost. Seemed like Liam was too far into the mountain. Well, the connection got lost sometimes, he didn’t really pay this too much mind at the moment.

He hurried over to the second sarcophagus instead (no trap this time, thank god) and pushed the lid aside. The stench of stale air and death erupted and Liam coughed and waved his hand to make the smell evaporate. He glanced inside the sarcophagus and this time he didn’t get disappointed. A skeleton lay there, with a large sword in his hands. The sword of the Emperor.  
“You sly bastard! Making everyone believe they found your grave when it’s just for the cover! Clever son of a bitch!” Liam smiled happily, excited at the aspect of finally finding what he had been looking for all these months. He pushed the lid further aside, eyes scanning the bones inside to find the Mirror of Origin.

And there was no mirror but what was there was some old document roll made from leather, created to protect important documents from wind and weather. Its brown-reddish color almost made it blend it with the dark color of the wood and Liam could imagine one was able to overlook it quite quickly when only looking for the sword or the Mirror. He reached for it and pulled the little roll out of its hiding spot next to the Emperor’s elbow. The roll was too young to be from the Emperor’s decade and the patterns on the roll itself also didn’t fit with the time so Liam guessed somebody had left it here later on. Maybe Ferguson?  
“If you send me on another journey around the globe I will scream,” he muttered and meant the late Arthur Ferguson, that one person who had started this whole adventure with his entries about the Mirror and the Emperor.  
Liam opened the roll and pulled the document out. It was handwritten in scrawly letters and Liam had a hard time making sense of the words itself. He sighed before he pulled out his flashlight and dropped on the ground, leaned against the sarcophagus, and began to read, the light from the flashlight a big help.

 

_I found the Emperor’s grave. It took me such a long time, I can barely fathom the reality of it, even as I write these words. But it is there and this time it’s no lie. While I’m writing this, I’m looking at the bones of the once mighty man, surrounded by his wealth and belongings._

 

_My journey has come to an end and I can finally rest. While I’m not as old to say dead is upon me, I am old enough to know I will never go on another expedition. It is time for me to return home and find my peace there. And it is time for me to be honest. As a young man, I aspired wealth and success, my measurements were the importance of my discoveries and the reputation I would gain from them. I aspired to find the Mirror of Origin and then the tomb of one of the biggest emperors. With all the knowledge I gained from books and my studies, I thought it would be easy, that I had the intellect to find what many before me failed to discover._

 

_I was foolish._

 

_My studies had led my on the right path, I came close to getting my hands on this powerful artifact; my mind set on all the notoriety it would gain me. I wasn’t prepared for all the gruesome things crossing my path. The horrors I encountered, I don’t wish them upon anybody else. There is something dark, something immensely powerful hidden in the ancient places back in Peru, a source of power defying all description. I don’t know if it is the Mirror itself or something guarding it, I never wanted to find out. While I was prepared for some difficulties during my travels, I wasn’t prepared for death and fear._

 

_I lost men, I lost friends, I lost too much to ever consider the expedition a success. I may know where the artifact is hidden but I will be damned if I ever share it with anybody else. Upon leaving the jungle and all those terrible places, I made a decision. No one else should ever endure those horrors and so I lied. I told everyone I found the Mirror and brought it somewhere safe. It is the only way to make sure no one even ventures into the depth of the Peruvian Jungle in search for the Mirror of Origin._

 

_The Emperor’s grave is hidden and so I’m leaving this here, hoping nobody will ever find it here and if they do, they will be bright enough to not go looking for the Mirror. To those reading this: Don’t do it. Stay away! Stay as far away from those damned places as you can. The seduction of wealth may be strong but you will lose too much to ever make it worth it. Be wiser than I was._

 

_A.Ferguson_

Liam felt like he was caught in a cosmic joke. He had read everything Ferguson had ever written and the main point in all of his notes had been him taking the Mirror of Origin and bringing it in his possession. And now he found out it had all been a lie? That old man was messing with him, right?  
Torn between screaming in anger and crying, Liam swallowed harshly. He hated the other with such a strong passion in this moment and had Ferguson not been dead since centuries, Liam would personally find him and kick his ass. All for wasting his time and fooling everyone for so long.

And yet…

A small part of Liam remembered how Ferguson’s notes had changed, slowly at first but then it got more and more evident. How he had turned into a nervous, paranoid mess and when Liam considered the dates, it had happened after his Peru expedition. Whatever the archaeologist had encountered it had mentally scarred him for life. So much, living a lie for the rest of his life had been the best option. Liam himself was still young but even he had already encountered enough to know there was more between the earth and the heavens that most people realized and believed and some of that shit was downright terrifying and bat-shit crazy. Had Arthur Ferguson encountered such a thing?

_**“Area all clear. Team 1 is in!”** _

The sudden voice ripped Liam from his thoughts and he jerked his head up. Four men, all dressed in tactical military gear and armed with machine guns, had stepped into the chamber, their flashlights attached to their guns and pointed at Liam. He had been so absorbed, he didn’t even hear them approaching.  
His right hand dropped to his side, ready to close around his pistol when one of the military guys tseked. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, kiddo.” He raised his gun, ready to shoot, and his team did the same thing. They were clearly not messing and while Liam knew he could fight, four guys with machine guns pointed at his head were too much to take. He still frowned and aimed his own flashlight at the guy who had spoken.  
“I’m no kiddo! Besides, you’re not much older than myself!” At least, given what he could see in the dim lighting. Fair skin, pale due to the light, stubbles adorning his strong jaw, and a fucking arrogant smirk on his face. Liam wanted to punch him for that smirk alone.  
Military guy raised one eyebrow. “Really? Sassing a guy pointing a gun at your head? That desperate to die?”  
“Tell us your name, civilian!” One of the other guys barked and Liam glared at him.  
“First name Go, last name Fuck yourself,” he hissed back. His inner Mason, the one Liam liked to call his very own Jiminy Cricket, facepalmed and muttered something about “Way to get shot.” But he hated people being rude towards him. And people pointing guns at him. Mix those two together and you got a combination Liam could absolutely not stand.  
The second guy growled and tightened his grip on his gun. “Wrong answer, fucker! I’ll ask a second time: Who are you?”

Their pleasant little chat got disturbed by a woman stepping into the chamber. Her outfit was more of an explorer than a military woman; from her black hair cut short in a neat bob, down to her perfect polished boots, she looked sophisticated and elegant. She looked around with a satisfied smile but when she spotted Liam, her lips formed an “oh”.  
“Liam Dunbar, I can’t believe it! Last time I saw you, it was just days after you were born. You have grown so much. And lord, you look so much like your mother.”  
He got that a lot and Liam himself had to agree, he had inherited his mother’s facial features, her nose and the curve of her lips. The only difference was his eye color, he had inherited his father’s blue eyes while hers had been grey. Still, it surprised him the stranger recognized that. “You knew my mother?”  
The lady nodded. “We have been friends. Not as close as we both would have liked due to our careers but we always enjoyed our time together. Oh, pardon, I completely forgot: My name is Vera.” She had walked over to him and now extended her hand for him to shake. Liam eyed her for a second, then her hand, and back at her face.  
“Your guys are still pointing guns at me. Who the hell are you people?”  
Vera looked at the military men. “Gentlemen, I think you made your point. Young Liam here surely is no danger. Thank you for your services.” She dismissed and they lowered their guns but stayed behind her, looking like some sort of bodyguards. Something inside Liam twitched. The young Liam part sounded motherly and he didn’t deal well with it. He decided to stay quiet, for now.   
Vera meanwhile introduced the group. “We are called the Society of Insight, a very private group working in secret to ensure artifacts are rescued and either put out for people to admire them or stored away in safety to avoid them falling into the wrong hands. Basically, we’re doing the same thing you do, we’re just having a bit more manpower.” She laughed softly and patted his arm. “I cannot stress how honored I feel to work with you. Admittedly, I didn’t expect you to be here but now that you are, we have to make the best out of it. That’s my mantra, always making the best out of a situation,” Vera chirped and Liam would have not been surprised at all if she burst out in a happy little song right the next second, Disney style. She currently acted like the fairy godmother and he was not so sure what to make out of this. It surely was one of the most surreal encounters he ever had in a tomb. And he meet ancient mermaids once!

“Work with me? When did I agree to a cooperation?” He inquired and raised an eyebrow.  
Vera gave him a surprised look and then snickered at herself. “Right, right, I may have been getting a little ahead. But you are also looking for the Mirror of Origin, correct?”  
Liam narrowed his eyes slightly. It made sense he wasn’t the only one following Ferguson’s hints but that didn’t make it any better. He didn’t fully trust her or her organization. Given what he went through with his family, his mother dying in an accident when Liam had been nine and his dad getting shot when Liam had been twelve, and what he already experienced on his travels, his doubts were absolutely justified. On the other hand, she was a friend of his mother and seemingly someone his mother had trusted around her newborn son. And maybe, just maybe, Liam was too suspicious for his own good most of the time. Also, nobody said he had to tell her everything about himself, his hopes and dreams and deepest secrets, he could play it on a professional level. It was his business, after all. “I do, yeah.” He pointed at the sarcophagus. “But the Mirror is not here.”

They all looked stunned by that and Vera gripped her heart, as if she was having an attack. That woman seemed to like a scene.  
“I find that hard to believe,” the guy who had called Liam kiddo drawled and Liam’s glare shot daggers at him. It made him want to punch the guy for a second time today.  
“It’s true. Ferguson lied. It’s all in here!” He waved the document he had held in the same hand as the flashlight the whole time. The arrogant bastard narrowed his eyes at Liam but didn’t reach for the document. Vera was the one who held out her hand.  
“May I?” She asked softly and Liam handed it over. When he had the choice between her and the guys, he would always choose her.  
Now she read what Ferguson had confessed. “This is astonishing. He played so many people for all those years.”  
Liam nodded. “Whatever he witnessed in the jungle, it was enough to scare him so much he considered living a lie for the rest of his life worthy enough. And maybe it explains why he got so paranoid at the end of his life. Maybe the trauma finally caught up.”  
One of the men sneered. “What’s so scary in the jungle?”  
“Oh, I don’t know,” Liam replied coldly, “jaguars, traps, the whole nine yards. It is not unreasonable to be scared by that.”  
“I wouldn’t be scared at all,” the guy bragged and the one Liam had wanted to punch repeatedly sighed. “Shut the hell up, Donovan.”  
“Don’t tell me what to do, Raeken.”  
Ah, now Liam at least had a name for that one person who had belittled him. Didn’t make him any less of an asshole.  
Raeken now simply rolled his eyes at Donovan and then proceeded to ignore him.

“Anyway!” Vera called out and startled Liam. “Since we all fell for Ferguson’s constructed lies, we have to travel back to Peru and start there. Liam, dear, it would be an absolute _pleasure_ if you would travel with us. You’re as brilliant as your mother, working with you would be an amazing opportunity.”  
He had worked with others before, Liam wasn’t completely antisocial just because he preferred dusty crypts over a raging club night, and maybe both sides would benefit from this cooperation. While Liam had traveled to Peru himself at the beginning of his studies on the Mirror, he had never really been able to get as deep into the jungle as Ferguson himself had been. He didn’t need to, had the guy stated he had taken the Mirror out of its hiding spot anyway. They already knew dangers were lurking, so maybe traveling there with an armed group of military men was a good idea.  
He nodded. “Sounds good.”

******  
Liam pressed the phone against his ear and braced one arm on top of the machine while he waited for Mason to accept the call. The little airport they would board the plane to Peru from didn’t have much, but at least a phone with international reception. Finally, his best friend spoke. “Hello?”  
“Mase, it’s me.”  
“Holy shit, Lee, there you are! We were worried sick after we lost the connection. I’ll put you on speaker, Corey’s with me.”  
“Hey, Liam,” Corey greeted.  
“Hey. I’m sorry I worried you but you won’t believe what happened.” He launched into an explanation of what had transpired in the Emperor’s tomb and his friends let out sounds of wonder and surprise. When he ended, Liam heard the clatter of a keyboard.  
“Society of Insight, I will search for everything I can possible find and direct it at you,” Corey announced.  
“When you arrive in Peru, keep your GPS on so we have an idea where you are. You never know when you need support,” Mason told him.  
“Thank you, Cor. And, Mase, I will. Can you do me a favor though? Look through my mom’s old notes. Vera said they were estranged friends, maybe mom mentioned her.”  
“Sure, buddy. As soon as I find something I will forward it to you,” Mason promised his best friend. It was good to have a backup, even though they were not in the same country.  
“Thank you, both of you. I will contact you as soon as I can and fill you in with our process. Take care.”  
“Be careful,” Mason instructed him and Liam hung up.

He pushed himself off the phone and wiped the sweat from his brow. He hoped the plane was cooler than the airport hall.  
Liam rounded the corner and there leaned Mr. Smug Asshole himself against the wall. When the group had come close to the city, Vera’s group had changed from their strategical gear into tactical pants, plain t-shirts and black bomber jackets. Liam had wondered about the jackets at first but then realized they all had also switched guns and were now carrying semi-automatic pistols. The jackets were simply to cover the weapons.  
“What?” He spat out. Something about the guy made his blood boil.  
“I was looking for you. The plane is there, we all are there, only one missing is you. So, move your ass!” Raeken pushed himself off the wall and ignored the daggers Liam glared at him.  
“I’m not one of your team buddies, I won’t follow your commands. Especially not if you keep talking to me like that.”  
Raeken put both hands over his heart as if he was deeply hurt. “Oh, I am sorry, was that not posh enough for you? Let me try again. Moveth his figure towards the flying machine, young lad, before I will store my boot on his behind.”  
Liam blinked. “That…absolutely makes no sense. Did you try your hand at Shakespeare? Way off. Way, way off. Don’t try something you know nothing about.”  
“Oh, what? Think I never heard of Shakespeare before? Just because I’m not as snobby as you are, doesn’t mean I don’t know shit about literature.”  
“Does Vera know you’re charming like that?” Liam crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave him a rather unimpressed look.  
Raeken scoffed. “I have no idea what Vera sees in you but what I know is her inviting you to this expedition is a slap in the face of every working person and especially the ones in this society.”  
Now that irked Liam. “Why is that so?” He inquired.  
“Simple. I could literally go to any well-esteemed university with a good history program, throw a stone and hit at least five other guys like you. Entitled guys who think they’re the shit just because of who their parents are.”  
It made Liam bark out a laugh. “Me? Entitled?”  
“Oh, you’re not? Then tell me, what did you ever achieved for yourself? I know your mom, Ilona Geyer-Dunbar, I know her work. What have you ever done that can compete? Or even gets remotely close? The only thing you do is carrying the Dunbar name and spending your time crawling through some tombs, digging in the sand a bit, and thinking you’re it. Living your little Lara Croft fantasy. I doubt you ever led an expedition or even were part of one with a remarkable found.”  
Liam shrugged nonchalantly. “I found the Emperor’s grave.”  
“So did we and if it had not been for Vera, Donovan would have put a bullet through your head. So much for your discovery.”  
Maybe the guy was right but Liam would rather spontaneously combust than to admit that. If Vera had not appeared, he probably would be dead by now. He growled. “Bastard!”  
Raeken smirked amusedly. “Are you allowed to cuss, kiddo?”  
“Stop calling me _that_!”

“Theo! Can you and our guest please hurry? Vera wants to get to Peru as fast as possible!” One of the other guys from Vera’s team called out all of sudden and interrupted their argument.   
Liam looked at the other guy and then back at Raeken. “So your name is Theo Raeken?”  
Theo simply shrugged. “Don’t wear it out.”  
Don’t worry,” Liam said dryly, “I think dickbag is a better name for you anyway.”

 


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam and Vera's men start following Ferguson's clues right into the Peruvian Jungle. What dangers and artifacts will await them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I totally forgot to mention in the first chapter, is I will be changing Povs between Liam and Theo. Don't worry, I will mark every change accordingly, so you know who is currently the one whose thoughts and impressions you're reading about.

“So, Liam, our experts were able to match Ferguson’s notes with a map of the jungle and created the perfect travel route for us,” Vera announced and Liam, who had looked out of the window of the private jet Insight owned (because of course, a mysterious organization owned a private jet) and marveled at the world beneath the plane, now got up from his seat and walked over to where she was hovering over a map. The way Vera voiced it sounded like she was going on a nice little vacation and Liam wasn’t so sure she knew what lay ahead of them. Had she forgotten what Ferguson had written in his last note?  
“We should start here.” Vera pointed at the map. “It’s a small village but Ferguson passed through during his expedition, he even mentions it in his early notes.”  
Yeah, Liam had started there as well when he began his search for the Mirror but after what he knew now, he had taken a closer look at Ferguson’s entries and notes and decided on a different approach. He tipped his index finger on another point at the map. “No, we should start there. It’s a small jungle mission, nothing extraordinaire, but Ferguson also mentions that. I thought it was just him listing some things he had seen during his travels but now I think differently. There are quite some miles between the mission and the village, maybe something between these two places gives us a clue about where the artifact is.”  
“Didn’t you research all this before? I seem to remember you telling Vera you traveled to Peru before. You want to go back to places you visited before to maybe find something you didn’t find previously?” Theo asked from where he lounged in his seat and cleaned his gun.  
Liam shook his head. “No. Yes. I mean…The goal of Ferguson’s expedition to Peru had not been the Mirror of Origin at first. He actually went to Peru to find the Hidden City and maybe some other artifacts as well. The Incas had such an amazing culture that alone would have been great fun to research and dig out. He didn’t believe in the stories about the Mirror until he found some reliable clues in Peru. So when I first traveled there, I paid his descriptions no mind, now I obviously think differently and I’m starting to doubt anything he wrote. The guy also didn’t really keep a diary in form of a book, most of his notes and entries are on single sheet papers and he rarely dated anything. Who says he didn’t rewrite some notes to back up his lie?”  
“Basically, we’re starting a brand new expedition since we act like Ferguson’s notes are non-existent?” Theo asked and raised an eyebrow.  
“Why, this will be an even bigger adventure than I thought and an even better victory when we finally have the mirror. To have overcome all these obstacles, it will be rewarding,” Vera chirped and Liam frowned.  
“Unless we die before we even get out hands on the mirror.” He usually was optimistic but he also kept the warnings made by Ferguson in the back of his mind.  
“Ah, shush, you’re too young to think about dying. We have a good team and good equipment and you are a brilliant archaeologist, don’t sell yourself short,” Vera calmed Liam down and patted the back of his hand. Liam ignored her as well as Theo’s scornful snort when she had called him brilliant.  
“Know what we should do? We should split up. One group goes to the village and starts looking there for clues, the other starts at the mission and travels through the jungle to the village. If we split up, we save time and work efficiently,” Liam suggested and Vera put a finger on her chin while she considered this.  
“This is a fantastic idea. Team 2 and 3 will come with me to the village, Theo and his team accompany you to the mission,” she ordered and really, that was not what Liam had wanted at all. Theo looked just as annoyed by the order as Liam and they both made a face when they glanced at each other. But since Theo didn’t even speak up he clearly followed his boss’ command. Vera had a pretty impressive hold over her mercenaries.

******

  
                                 ~~~~~~ **THEO** ~~~~~~

  
“I don’t like this.”  
Theo took a drag from his cigarette and tilted his head back to let the smoke slowly flow out of his mouth again. He glanced at Donovan who sat on a rock and sharpened his knife. “Like what?”  
“That he has weapons. He’s not one of us.” Donovan pointed his knife in the direction of Liam who stood a few feet away and talked to a merchant. They had decided to just stay long enough in the mission to get enough provision and then start following Ferguson’s lead into the wilderness but that didn’t stop the other from having a nice little chat with the people living there. Theo usually would be annoyed but he had to admit, Liam being that friendly had given them a discount on the provision so he would tolerate it for now. Now Theo’s eyes scanned over the shotgun strapped across Liam’s back, the two pistols in the holsters left and right, the knife and he climbing ax he carried with him. That guy was almost as armed as Theo and his team and Theo really hoped he didn’t carry those around for show but really knew how to use them. They would need any firepower they could get once they were inside the wilderness.  
“We’re about to walk inside the jungle. What do you want him to carry? A slingshot? I’m kind of glad he carries those or else we would have to protect him. I’m not dying for this fucker.” He took another drag from his cigarette and then tossed it to the ground and stomped on it. It was still relatively early, they could make some good use of the day when they started now.

“Can we start?”  
Liam actually jumped when Theo spoke up which only solidified Theo’s assumption he was just great at making a show and would only cower when things went south. But then he nodded. “I’m ready to go.”  
Davis, one member of Theo’s team, shouldered his machine gun. “Which way to go?”  
“We should start over there, right after the bridge,” Theo said at the same time as Liam replied with “Behind the graveyard is a good entrance to the jungle.” Both glared at each other. If there was one thing Theo hated, it was people acting like they were in charge when they absolutely weren’t. He obviously had to set some things straight.  
“Listen, you spoiled sorry excuse for an explorer, Vera put me in charge. We do as I say!”  
“Oh, I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware you were a specialist on Ferguson’s discoveries and his expedition route. My bad. Go on, tell us where to go. I’m sure, you already figured out the exact spot of the Mirror, right? Enlighten us.” Liam faked inquisitiveness.   
Theo pressed his mouth shut because frankly? That had been on him. He knew other things, had read some things about Ferguson but then given up when the guy turned dipshit crazy, so he really had no idea where to go. He just had seen some old ruins when they arrived and that’s why he chose the direction he did. However, Liam indeed seemed to have a better knowledge of Ferguson and while Theo was sure he would get an aneurysm just admitting it, for now, he would follow the idiot’s lead.  
“Fine, we follow your directions!” He grabbed Liam by the arm. “But make no mistake, I’m not risking my men’s or my own life to save yours. If shit happens, we make sure we are safe and don’t care about you. You’re on your own then. I will gladly sacrifice you for our lives.”  
“Don’t worry, I’m aware of that. You should be aware I’ll handle it the same way. Shit goes down, I give a rat’s ass about any of you and leave you behind.”  
“Know what, Dunbar? That’s the first thing you said I believe without a doubt.”  
Theo abruptly turned around and therefore ended their stare off. Liam huffed behind him but then brushed past Theo and took over the lead while shouldering his backpack.

Their way led them through the graveyard of the mission and then right into the wilderness. They saw some birds with colorful feathers and even some turkeys. He knew the jungle was dangerous but Theo could not help but find the plants, the unruly nature almost untouched by humans, beautiful. The uneven ground made walking challenging, they had to make sure not to stumble over roots and also beware of any animal crossing their way. It didn’t take away any of the beauty.

After they walked for some time, they came to a waterfall which also seemed like a dead end. Theo had to bite back a mocking laugh when Liam glared at the water as if had personally offended him. “Wrong direction? Should have gone my way?” He taunted and Liam gave him the finger without looking at him. His fellow mercenaries roared with laughter and if Theo let Davis trip over his foot for that nobody had to know.  
Liam meanwhile tilted his head to the side, reminded Theo of a curious puppy while he did that, and stared up at the waterfall. And then his arm shot out moreover almost smacked Donovan in the face. “There! We have to climb.” To further prove his point he walked straight to the wall next to where the water came from and rammed his climbing ax into the stone. True to his words it stuck and Liam used it to pull himself further up. The mercenaries shared a look but then Theo shrugged. Going back to find another way around would cost them hours, he preferred the direct way, even though this was challenging.  
It surprised Theo how agile Dunbar seemed to be and how fast he could climb. But Theo guessed when you were the son of two archaeologists, you got trained in rock climbing since you were a young kid.

“Oh my god, this is the Monkey King.” Liam’s voice came from above. Theo raised his head but could not see the other at the moment, since he was still plastered against the wall and on his way up. Given how excited Liam sounded, he found something very interesting. After arriving at the top, Theo wondered why.  
He had expected some old temple or a tomb but only found a monolith in the middle of nowhere. Liam pulled at some vines and weed to uncover the stone and read what had been carved in the stone. “It tells the story of Husiy, the Monkey King. According to this, he got the name because people believed he could turn into a monkey and used it to steal from his enemies. And that part here says he came to a woman in monkey form and impregnated her.”  
“Hm, sex with monkeys, the old Incans knew how to party, what?” Theo muttered while he wiped his brow. The humidity of the area was probably his least favorite aspect of Peru. He enjoyed the warmth though. Better than Russia. That had been a few awful months…  
He now watched Liam pull his own notebook from his backpack, the one where he kept copies of Ferguson’s notes, and flip through it. His eyes wandered over the text and he pointed to the left. “Ferguson and his team passed this monolith but he barely mentions it. They continued their way down to the river. I see the river from here.” He still pointed in the left direction while he talked. Theo rolled his eyes and fetched his water bottle from his own backpack. Why did the little prince always feel the need to elaborate? They all could read and make sense of what the old man had written. That wasn’t an accomplishment and you surely didn’t even need the Ivy League for that.

“I just wonder…” Liam closed his notebook and put it in his bag again. And then he turned right and walked away from the group until he disappeared behind a few large bushes. Vera would kill all of them if something happened to the precious little boy but there was only so much Theo could do when the other strayed away from them.  
“If he gets eaten by an animal we tell Vera we did our best to fight the beast,” Davis suggested and Theo laughed loudly.  
“Deal.”  
They grinned at each other but then Liam called out for them.  
“Found something!”  
“Does he expects us to come running?” Donovan seemed irritated by that, Theo could not blame him. He groaned.  
“If he finds the mirror and we don’t help him, Vera shoots us. Come on, guys.” He pocketed his bottle again and then followed the path Liam had taken.

They found Liam in front of a wall made from yellow and black stone. The top of the wall was decorated with waves carved into the stone, only interrupted in one place by a stone gate. Liam currently tried to open the gate but failed miserably. “A little help?” He asked breathlessly when he spotted them. The other men chuckled and even went so far to mumble something about him being weak but then actually came to his aid. And together they managed to wrench the gate open. 

The thing was, Theo loved exploring ancient tombs and when he now wormed his way through the gate and set eyes on the old ruins in front of them, worn down by weather and centuries, partly overgrown with plants, he felt the rush of excitement. The mission they were currently on was a great one and Theo had always enjoyed the Incan and Mayan culture, he just had kind of forgotten that over the anger of having a bratty twenty-something guy with them. He decided to ignore Liam the best he could and rather focus on his mission and unveiling past cultures. 

Liam had pulled out his camera and was taking some pictures. “This is remarkable. The carvings on the wall outside are not related to the Monkey King. I don’t know what else they could be. This is close to his territory, why would somebody else even get a building here?”  
“Even Monkey Kings die, maybe this was for his successor or the king before him.” Theo shrugged and slowly stepped into the first chamber of the abandoned building. If he didn’t know better, he would say this was a temple. A very small temple but still a temple.  
Liam followed him and pointed his flashlight on the walls. He studied the paintings there and Theo saw him scrunch his nose in confusion. “Why are you here? You belong far more East. What are you doing here?” He mumbled suddenly and stepped closer to a painting showing a man in splendid robes, presenting a golden box to a female while his followers waited behind him. “This is Amaru, the Monkey King’s fierce rival. His territory was more East, I don’t get why someone made a painting of him here.”  
Theo didn’t really have an answer to this nor did he want to answer and instead wandered around the little hall. He paid the paintings no real attention since Liam was already all over them, and instead looked through the vases and chests gathered there. Most were empty, others still held some stones but Theo was not interested in raiding this ancient place. He wanted to find the Mirror and bring it to Vera so she knew she had made the right choice by putting him on this mission.

Upon his searches, he came across a document. His Quechuan knowledge was rusty but the longer he stared at the words, the more he remembered. “This document tells the story of two kings courting the same woman. It says something before woman but I can’t decipher it. The kings did their best to trump each other and win the woman over. One king surely was Amaru, the other seemingly the Monkey King. Now you know why there’s a painting with the guy.”  
Liam stepped closer to Theo so he could look at the document as well. “The thing you couldn’t decipher means family. A family of women, more than one. And the kings tried to make sure the family found one of them the most suitable.” He turned around and pointed his light to the painting with the king and the golden box again. “The woman there, that’s the same woman as in this painting.” He moved the flashlight to another painting showcasing the king arriving at a very noble looking house and being greeted by the woman from the first painting and five other women behind her.   
“You think that’s the family from the document?” Theo asked.   
“Would make sense, right?” It was probably the first time Liam looked at him without glare but just honest and neutral.  
Theo could not deny the logic. “Guess so. Then again, you have two kings, powerful men, why would they try to gain the approval of a mother and her daughters? I’m just going to assume that was the mother. What made that family so special two kings fought for them?”  
“That’s something we have to figure out. Maybe we’ll find more information the further we venture inside.” Liam pointed at the hallway leading from the first chamber.  
“Isn’t our mission to find the Mirror of Origin?” Burwell, another member of Theo’s team and rarely someone to speak, said. He had followed them inside, just like the rest of the group slowly filtered in, but stayed out of the whole looking around. Like previously stated, he wasn’t much of a talker but he had always been there when Theo needed him.  
“This is our big mission but since we already here might as well figure out some smaller secrets. Where’s your sense of adventure?” Liam answered and then simply left the first chamber to step further into the building.  
“See it that way, the more data we have and the more discoveries we make, the happier Insight will be,” Theo reminded his team and though they all grumbled, they followed Liam.

Instead of a second hall, the way led them through a corridor and given what was still standing from the walls, Theo had no trouble imagining how luxurious this must have been when it had been in use. Whoever had built this made sure Amaru felt cherished. There were colorful ornaments, adorned with beautiful stones, and murals showing various gods.  
“Beautiful,” Liam muttered and ran his hand over a sun made from Jade.  
“I think it’s kind of tacky,” Donovan complained and again Theo rolled his eyes.  
“Can you ever not be negative?” He fired over his shoulder and Donovan kicked the heel of his boot.  
“Fuck off, Raeken!”  
“You seriously need to chill out. All of you kind of having a problem appreciating beauty, huh?” Liam mocked them and now it was Theo’s turn to glare daggers at the back of Liam’s head. Just when they got along without fighting for a few seconds, the other reminded him how arrogant he truly was and Theo wanted to kick his ass.  
“How old are you?“ He questioned and Liam looked over his shoulder, a quizzical look on his face.  
“23, why?”  
“Just wondering how you managed to reach 23 without anybody shooting you.”  
His comrades laughed and Liam scowled at Theo once more. “Fucking asshole!”  
“Takes one to know one, rich boy.”

They rounded a corner and entered a hallway less decorated than the other one. In fact, there was no decoration at all on the walls and the stone ground was plain. It should have been a giveaway something was not as it should be but none of them fully realized that. Liam spun around and poked Theo’s chest with his index finger. “You’re such a menace. I rarely met anyone as annoying as you are.”  
Theo shrugged. “Like I care what you think of me.”  
Liam opened his mouth and…growled?  
“Geez, calm down. What are you? A wolf?” Theo mocked him but Liam shook his head. “Wasn’t me.”  
Another growl. When Theo paid closer attention it sounded like wheels of an old machine slowly turning after years of not having been moved. Before he even got a chance to explore this further, the whole floor opened and they all fell down.

It wasn’t a long fall but it ended rather wet with them all landing in a flooded part of the building. The water reached Theo to the middle of his waist and soaked his clothes. It was brackish water and cold since the sun never really warmed it up and it had been surrounded by stonewalls for god knows how long. Donovan frantically looked around. “Okay, no traps, just the water. Good, good.”  
Davis looked up. “It’s too high to climb up and the walls are too sleek.” He rubbed over the wall. “Have to find another way to get out.”  
“I mean, it’s just water. Not that bad, right?” Donovan decided and Theo was keen to agree. As on cue, however, they heard the wheels turning again and slowly the floor started to close above their heads again, effectively locking them in. To make things worse, water started to spray from different holes in the wall and the chamber started to flood quickly. It didn’t take long for them all to be completely drenched and the water level rose and rose.

“We have to find a way to make it stop!” Burwell roared and searched as frantically as the others for any sort of trigger on the wall to make it stop.  
“Amaru had a strong affinity to water. It makes sense it would be present in a building dedicated to him in any form or way,” Liam mentioned.  
“Oh, that you know but you don’t know how to make it stop? Fucking clever, Dunbar!” Theo barked. The water already reached half of his chest and he didn’t have any mind for history know. Liam looked at him and then took a deep breath ere he dove under.

 

                                 ~~~~~~  **LIAM** ~~~~~~

  
He needed to find a way out and he needed it quickly. He had expected it to be dangerous but Liam refused to die on the first day without even getting close to the Mirror of Origin. He refused to die, period. But if he had to die, he would decide on a different way to go.

It was hard to see underwater, a lot of dust and dirt had come with the additional water. Liam swam past the mercenaries, hands on the wall to find an opening. He found something on the other end of the chamber but the need to breathe became too strong before Liam could inspect it further. He swam back up and gasped for air. The chamber had filled significantly and Theo and his men were barely able to keep their heads above the water. Liam needed to act fast.

He dove under again and went straight for what he had discovered. It was an old mechanism with a broken handle. Liam didn’t need to think twice before he snatched his climbing ax from his belt and rammed it into the spot the handle once had been. It fit right in and he could use it as a lever. Putting his feet against the wall next to the mechanism, Liam used his strength to pull on it. The distorted sounds of the other guys calling out to each other and the water mixed with another grumble. Liam pulled again and a third time after that. He felt something move inside the handle and his ax sunk even deeper in. It still didn’t bring success and Liam tugged harder. His lungs burned with the need for air and he started to feel dizzy but this was their only hope.

Next to Liam two wooden flaps opened to reveal two rectangle-shaped holes and then the water was washed out of the chamber. Liam barely had time to extract his ax and surface again, then he, along with the others, was rinsed like somebody flushed an over-dimensional toilet. The undertow dragged Liam underwater again and he was tossed and spun around so often, he lost all sense of direction. The water rushed them through some chambers and underwater caves and then it finally spat the men out in a little pond.  
They gasped for air and crawled on land where they sputtered and frantically tried to get air in their lungs again.  
“Are you happy?” Donovan coughed up water. “Your little detour almost killed us!” He spoke to Liam, of course, and Liam spat out water before he answered: “How was I supposed to know something like this would happen?”  
“I don’t fucking care but we’re not taking any fucking detours again. From now on, we take the straight route.”  
“Yeah. No more crawling into any tombs or buildings we don’t need!” Theo ordered from where he laid flat on his back and tried to regain his breath. A part of Liam wanted to argue but he also knew right now that would have been foolish. Besides, those were their rules, he didn’t need to listen to them.

He looked around. “Say what you want but the detour helped us get over the river. We came from up there.” He pointed to the distance where you could see the monolith. The river flowed peacefully a few feet away.  
“That’s great. Next time, chose a way without almost killing us!” Theo retorted and Liam rolled his eyes.  
“We should rest for a while,” he then suggested.  
Theo glanced at his waterproof watch and shook his head. “We didn’t come nearly as far as I wanted before our first rest. We will continue our path. You may be used to taking breaks every hour or so but we don’t. Get used to that.” He got to his feet and waited for everyone else to follow his example. Liam really didn’t like him. That guy took himself far too seriously. Yet he grabbed his backpack and tightened the straps on his shoulders.  
“I thought after almost dying even you guys take a break. Forgive me for assuming you are human beings.”  
“If something like that makes you take a break, you would never survive a real battle,” Theo lectured him, another thing Liam hated. “Welcome to the jungle, kiddo. This is how it will be from now on.”  
“Asshole,” Liam mumbled under his breath but followed the mercenaries further into the jungle.

He stayed behind the group, a few feet back, not in the mood to be too close to them. Liam knew why he liked working alone. He didn’t have to wait for anybody and he also didn’t have to care about anybody. From experiences, Liam knew it was better if he worked alone. The few times Mason and Corey had been with him had made him so worried for his friend’s safety. He would never forgive himself if they got hurt because Liam dragged them into something. It was safer when they stayed at home where Mason could research and Corey could work his computer genius skills. Well, he only had to find the Mirror and then see how things would go from there. Maybe he would go on a trip to Egypt and try to continue his dad’s research there. Or he would venture to the North and try to find some artifacts there. Alone, naturally. 

******  
It had gotten increasingly hotter during the day and walking through the jungle became more and more tiring. He cast a short look on his watch, they had been making their way through the jungle for hours now without setting sit on any other ruins. Liam sometimes stopped to check Ferguson’s notes but the guy wasn’t really helpful at all. Maybe Vera had been right with starting at the village. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a bird jumping out of a bush and then taking off in the air. Liam watched the animal soar and then he noticed how silent the jungle was around him. He stopped walking. Listened and looked around, up the trees, everywhere.  
“Would the little prince please move his ass?” Theo sounded fed up with Liam but this was not something Liam really cared about. Not in general, especially not right now.   
“Don’t you hear that?”  He asked.  
“I hear nothing.” Burwell shook his head.   
“That’s it. The birds stopped singing, no animal makes a sound. There’s a saying around here: If the animals become quiet, he’s near,” Liam explained.   
“Who?” Donovan questioned with an angry frown. He clearly thought Liam was playing them.   
“The Jaguar,” Liam stated dryly and they stared at him like he completely lost his mind. 

“You seriously believe what some uneducated peasants say?” Davis asked and walked over to Liam. “There’s no jaguar there, man. Get a grip.” To further prove his point, he even walked around and poked into the bushes with his gun.   
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. He might consider it a threat,” Liam warned.   
“Stop fooling around! If you’re scared, fine, but I’m not! I’ve dealt with worse before. Move your ass!” Davis grabbed Liam by his arm and Liam’s fight instinct kicked in. He tore his arm away and pushed Davis.   
“Don’t touch me!”

Davis snarled and then shoved Liam back with such a force he stumbled back and then lost his footing and fell flat on his ass, fall only stopped by a tree his back collided with. Liam hissed and then tried to kill the mercenary with his glare. Anger bubbled inside him and he was about to jump to his feet and tackle the guy when a shadow on the ground caught his eye. The sun peaked through the large leaves of the trees around them and it looked like...Liam gulped and slowly tilted his head to look up the tree.

And there he was, on a large branch hanging above them, stood the jaguar, pale green eyes watching them intensely, beautiful golden fur shining in the sun, and muzzle pulled back in an angry snarl. His fur around the muzzle had dried blood from feeding and his fangs were bloodied too. They were intruding in his territory and he obviously didn’t like it. 

Liam’s heart hammered inside his chest and for a moment his mind went blank. It took one wrong move and he was cat food.   
“Don’t move,” he said slowly directed at Davis and lowered his head to look at the other man. “For fuck’s sake don’t move.”   
He saw the rest of the group approaching from the corner of his eye, guns ready to shoot, and he really hoped that didn’t anger the predator even more.   
“I’m not afraid of a stinky cat!” Davis declared and then grabbed his machine gun, ready to shoot the jaguar. Liam’s eyes widened and he wanted to scream but no words left his mouth. It was too late anyway, the hectic movement had riled the jaguar and he jumped. Before David could even pull the trigger, the jaguar was on him and bit down on his neck. Blood splashed, the man screamed and the animal roared and Liam took this to get to his feet and start running.   
“RUN!” He yelled at the other three and for probably the first time they took his command without arguing and started running with him. 

How long they ran, Liam didn’t know, too agitated and too scared to check for the time. He just wanted to get away from an animal able to kill him with not much more than two large bites. His blood was pumping and his heart was still thundering inside his chest and he probably would see Davis getting killed by a jaguar in front of his inner eyes for a while now. 

They finally stopped in a shallow part of the river to catch their breath. “Where is he? Is he still around?” Liam panted and they all looked around for any sight of the jaguar but found none.   
“I think he’s gone. For now. Does anybody know where we are? What’s our position?” Burwell inquired and Donovan looked at the GPS system the troops from Insight carried around.   
“We strayed off from our path. The easiest way is to get back and then straight forward. Everything else would be a diversion.”  
That guy had to be joking! “Are you fucking serious right now?? Have you been asleep for the last minutes? We’re literally walking through a jaguar’s hunting ground! No way we can go back!” Liam yelled and he wanted to punch the bastard. He was putting their lives in danger.  
“We have our guns! If we stick together, the big cat doesn’t stand a chance.”  
“Your friend had a gun too and it didn’t help him at all!” Liam argued back, voice rising with anger.   
“Any diversion will cost us hours, probably days. All because you are scared?” Donovan really seemed so dumb, he misjudged a fucking jaguar.  
“Being scared and being cautious is not the same thing,” Liam and Theo said at the exact same time and they shared a look.   
Theo was it who broke the eye contact when he looked at his comrades again, one after the other. “We will continue this path, find a safe place to rest for the night. We all need something to eat and some rest.”  
“Are you for real? I didn’t think you would be that much of a pussy, Raeken,” Donovan mocked him.   
“Think of me what you want, we’re not going back! Vera put me in charge, don’t forget that!” Liam watched Raeken give Donovan a hard look and though he still seemed pissed about it, Donovan didn’t object. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter already. I'm really happy you guys liked the first chapter so much ♥ The adventure is really about to start or rather it has already started. There is far more to come and it will be really interesting to see how long Theo and Liam can go without punching each other. Stay tuned for this.
> 
> As always, tell me what you think in the comments. I'm happy to hear from you. 
> 
> Love you all ♥♥


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo and Liam, cats and dogs have nothing on them. They can't stand each other. Will it change when they get separated from their group? And will they make new discoveries in their search for the Mirror of Origin?

Liam sat on a small rock near the river and watched the water sparkle in the sun. They had stayed in a small secluded cave nearby and he had been the first to wake up so Liam used the opportunity to reach out to Mason and Corey and check in with them.  
“I’m still looking through your mother’s notes for anything related to this Vera person. Your mom wrote a lot but I haven’t found anything yet. If I do, you will be the first to know,” Mason filled Liam in with the progress.  
“I tried to research about Insight but holy moly, Liam, they are like literal ghosts. Barely any mention and even if they get mentioned it leads nowhere than to the fact they are an organization working in the archaeological field,” Corey now told Liam and typed on his keyboard.  
“A secret organization without any traces in the web? Why am I not surprised?” Liam drawled sarcastically.  
“I’m not giving up and digging deeper,” Corey promised. “Still, you should be careful around them. Everybody leaves traces unless they are very adamant about not doing so. This has weird written all over it.”  
“And you say I worry too much,” Mason mocked his boyfriend and Corey sighed. “But you’re also right. Liam, you should be careful.”  
“Guys, you know me.” Liam rolled his eyes. He knew what he had to do.  
“That’s why we’re telling you!” Both of his friends said at the same time and Liam sighed again.  
“Why am I even talking to you?”  
“Because you love us,” Mason deadpanned and Corey awed.  
“You’re idiots. But you’re also right, I do.” He chuckled softly. “Anyway, I have to go. When we reach the village, I will call again. Stay safe!”  
“We are not the ones walking through the Peruvian Jungle with a mysterious group of people,” Mason muttered when Liam ended the call.

He stretched, got up, and looked around. To his left, the jungle began again and to his right, the river bank was covered with sand and pebbles. Different birds chirped in the tall trees and it was peaceful. As long as he heard the birds, the jaguar was far away and that was probably the best thing yet. It bugged him they had not found anything relatable this far. Vera and her group were hopefully more successful because right now this all felt like a giant cosmic joke. Maybe Ferguson had found the mirror and then decided to play a prank on anybody looking for it.  
Except for a part of Liam believed the note he had found in the Emperor’s tomb. Why would the old guy lie? His note had stressed how dangerous this search was but aside from almost drowning – and that in a building not even related to the Mirror – they had not encountered anything dangerous yet. The jaguar was living in the jungle and Liam counted the dangers of their environment not to the horrors Ferguson had described. So what had put so much fear in the guy he had been traumatized for the rest of his life?

The young archaeologist sighed and wandered a bit further down the river. The morning sun was warming everything up and it was already disgustingly hot. His t-shirt already began to stick to his body. Well, it was still better than being in Egypt and having sand stick to your skin like a natural peeling; especially when you had cuts and gashes on your skin...  
His eyes suddenly fell on a large tree. It was enormous and Liam couldn’t even see the top when he tilted his head. The bark was thick and covered in moss but there was an opening big enough for a person to slip through. Liam wasn’t the tallest and it now came in handy when his curiosity picked up. This was a perfect hiding spot for whatever and he had the strong suspicion it had been made by human hands. He carefully slipped inside the tiny cave and turned on his flashlight. A few mushrooms grew on the inside of the tree and aside from a wooden box on the ground, nothing was there. With a humming sound, Liam knelt down.  
The box once had been painted with blue embellishments but now the paint was slowly fading and the wood was crooked from the humidity in the air. The little lock gave no resistance when Liam opened it and revealed handwritten notes inside. Liam put the documents out and began to read.

_I received the invitation today. When the mother invited me, I felt honored. I am sure no king in any of the lands would decline such an invitation. I see it already. Me and one of her daughters married and taking a stroll over the market, basking in the admiration of our followers. It will be fantastic._

_The family is admired and the people say the daughters are blessed by the gods. I don’t know how that shows but the stories I heard are impressive. Having one of the daughters as my wife would do my kingdom proud._

_I heard the word my rival, the Monkey King, also received an invitation. I don’t care. I’m bringing the best clothes, gems, jewelry, the best gifts to show the mother I am worthy to receive the hand of one of her daughter’s in marriage. My rival has nothing on me, I know how to court a woman._

_As I’m writing this, the last preparations for my journey begin. Tomorrow I will leave to travel to the family. If any of these stories are true, it will be a journey worth the troubles. The path is not easy but the mother assured me, this is only the first test to see if I am worthy. She already planned on many more. I will pass them all. I know I will._

Liam hummed. A family blessed by the gods? That sounded interesting and he made a mental note to that. For now, he just pocketed the notes in his backpack and slipped out of the tree cave again.  
“Didn’t we say no more detours?” Theo stood a few feet away, arms crossed in front of his chest, and gave Liam a stern look. Liam scoffed.  
“You decided on no more detours and I couldn’t care less what you want.” He brushed past Theo but the other grabbed him by his upper arm.  
“Listen to me, you little shit, stop being so damn arrogant!”  
Liam growled and wrenched his arm out of Theo’s hold but grabbed his arm instead and twisted it painfully. Theo groaned. “Never. touch. me. again. I do not like anybody touching me without my consent and I sure as hell don’t like it when you do it. My body is off limits for you, got it, bastard?”  
Theo just glared at him and Liam let him go because he actually didn’t want Raeken to punch him.  
The mercenary held his arm and glared angrily at Liam. “Vera won’t like you acting like that! Wait till I tell her!”  
“If Vera gives so much about your opinion why aren’t you with her but stuck with me in the middle of the freaking jungle?” Liam shot back and smirked mockingly.  
“I swear, the next jaguar we see, I will fucking throw you in its way. I don’t get what Vera sees in you but we don’t need you to find the mirror. So, next opportunity, you are big cat food, Dum-bar!”  
“I fucking hate you!”  
“I couldn’t care less!”  
They stared at each other with angry snarls and Liam really wanted to punch the guy. But he still had his two friends and so Liam was outnumbered. “Can’t wait till we reach the village,” he huffed.  
“One more day,” Theo replied coldly.  
“Perfect.”

Now Liam could brush past him but then he turned around again. “I am still sorry about what happened to your friend.” He meant it. Losing someone was traumatic.  
Theo gave him a puzzled look. “Huh?”  
“Davis, I’m talking about Davis.”  
And now Raeken barked out a laugh. “He wasn’t my friend! We worked together and he was so stupid to tease a wild animal. His fault he died.” He shrugged and Liam realized how cold these guys were. They showed no real emotion, aside from anger and annoyance, determined to go through with their mission. Showing compassion? No, not these guys. Right now, they were on the same side as Liam but he had already learned in his young life how fast that could change. He stored this revelation in the back of his mind. It wouldn’t stop him from searching for the artifact but Liam would be more careful than before.

It’s why he didn’t say anything else and just returned to the other guys. Donovan sneered when he saw him.  
“So Theo found you again. Pity, I hoped you would have died last night. One less problem to take care off.”  
“You are three guys against one, why don’t you use your guns?” Liam snapped back and then mentally slapped himself. _Way to go when you already figured out how dangerous they are, Liam!  
_ “Trust me, if I could, I would.” Donovan raised his gun when Theo appeared next to him and pressed the weapon down with the palm of his hand.  
“As entertaining as your little pissing contest is, let’s go!”  
“The faster we reach the village, that faster _that one_ becomes Vera’s problem again,” Burwell mentioned.  
Liam raised an eyebrow. “That one? What am I? An animal?”  
“There are many small and annoying animals, it wouldn’t be that farfetched,” Theo replied while he shouldered his bag and his gun. He turned around and then startled when Liam stepped directly into his path and they stood face to face.  
Liam let his eyes wander over the other’s appearance. “We are the same height, you prick!” He grinned triumphantly, spun around and began walking. Burwell snickered behind him.

                   

  ~~~ **THEO** ~~~

  
“You could use your gun right now. There’s nothing for him to hide,” Donovan muttered and Theo felt his finger twitch to flip him the bird.  
“If you will explain the incident to Vera, be my guest.”  
“We will say he also fell victim to the jaguar. No harm will be done.”  
“Yeah because that is such a good idea. You know Vera doesn’t like it when we lie to her.” The woman could act like the sweetest person on earth but she could also get very angry and impulsive. Theo still felt the cold water she had dosed him and his team with after she thought they held back information in Russia. Cold water wasn’t so much of a problem but it quickly became one when it was freezing outside. She had later explained she only did this because she cared about their duty and they had to be inured to anything crossing their path. She was right, Theo knew this painfully well. It was the main reason he had so much respect for that tiny woman.  
He now shook his head to clear it from unwanted thoughts and then followed the annoying wannabe tomb raider. “Do you even know where we’re going?”  
“Towards the village,” Liam helpfully replied and Theo sighed. That idiot would cause his first gray hairs.

******  
There wasn’t much Dunbar did right but he purposefully didn’t lead them through the jaguar’s lair again. Sure, you could never really tell where the hunting ground began and where it ended, but Liam tried to stay as far away from the point they encountered the animal as possible. Theo was actually impressed. The guy could think if he wanted to, would you look at that.

If only he wasn’t so keen on exploring everything he deemed interesting. He reminded Theo of a puppy, the way he bounced left and right, knelt down to inspect rocks or stopped to take a look at the map. When asked about it, he repeated the same lament, that Ferguson might have found something between the mission and the village and it was worth looking out. It was wearing Theo and his men down because they were slowly marching forward. They all were too impatient for that.  
“Can you not?” He, therefore, hissed at Liam when the guy inspected some carvings in an old tree. “I had planned on reaching the village today!”  
Dunbar never reacted and instead ran his fingers over the cravings. “ ** _Blessed by the gods, cursed by a human. Found their demise by the hands of their own flesh and blood_** ,” he muttered and rounded the tree.  
Theo frowned. “What?”  
“I am translating what’s carved in here,” Liam replied. “ ** _Greed and envy…a family tragedy._** ”  
“If you’re done with your jungle soap opera I’d like to continue walking.” Theo checked his own map and found they were not as far as he had thought they would be during that time of the day. All thanks to the dumb puppy trapped inside a human body. Burwell and Donovan had already walked past them and waited for them a few feet ahead.  
“Already told you, I couldn’t care less what you want!”

Maybe it was the heat or that he was generally annoyed with babysitting a twenty-something brat whose mom had crossed paths with Vera in the past but Theo snapped. He strode over to the guy, grabbed him by the bag, and dragged Liam after himself like a stubborn mule. Liam shrieked and Theo felt him stemming his feet to the ground and trying to resist getting dragged.  
And then he suddenly felt a grip on his arm and was thrown to the floor in a totally surprising judo throw. He landed in the dirt and then Liam pinned him down while he straddled Theo. “I already told you I don’t like you touching me. Leave it!”  
Theo glared at the younger man and used a quick moment where Liam didn’t pay that much attention to rolling them around. Now he pinned the other.  
“Then move your ass and don’t stop every two minutes.”  
“You do know this is an expedition?” Liam replied angrily and rolled them around again.

None of them wanted to submit and let the other overpower them and so they rolled around until they reached the end of the little uphill they had been on and both tumbled down. It created separation between the two fighting men but Theo would have liked it better if he landed on his own two feet instead of on his back. He groaned and Liam next to him let out a similar sound. He had landed on his front and Theo sincerely hoped he had hurt himself. Served him right for being the idiotic brat that he was.  
He sat up and surveyed their current position. While it wasn’t that high, the walls of the little uphill they fell down were made from massive stone and he doubted they would manage to get their hiking axes into it. Theo still got to his feet and stepped closer to try it. He had been right, it didn’t work.

“Are you happy now?”  
Theo looked over his shoulder when he was spoken to. Liam had sat up too and looked like he was pouting while he glanced up the stone walls.  
“Me? You’re the one to blame for this debacle!”  
“Am not. You began to drag me.” Liam got to his feet and dusted his pants off. Then he glanced around. There was a small path they would have to follow because climbing up was not an option.  
“Theo?” His walkie-talkie crackled and Bullwell called out for him. Theo grabbed the device.  
“We’re fine, we just fell and now have to find a way up again.”  
“Shit,” Burwell cursed and said exactly what Theo was thinking.  
“It’s alright, you continue walking towards the village; we will join you later.” No use in them waiting for Theo and Liam.  
“You sure?” Burwell asked and Theo sighed.  
“Yeah, just continue. I will keep him in check.”

He clipped his walkie-talkie on his belt again. Suddenly he saw something flying towards him from the corner of his eye and caught it last minute. It was a still wrapped small medical kit.  
“You hurt your elbow. Patch yourself up and let’s get going,” Liam just said and then proceeded to follow the path Theo had spotted earlier. Theo stared after him and then back at the kit in his hand. He didn’t get the guy. One minute they were at each other’s throats and now he made sure Theo had something to tend to his wounds. Speaking of: He raised his arm and turned it so he could see the damage. His elbow was bloodied but it was just a simple cut, nothing more. Thanks to Liam’s kit he could use a disinfectant wipe to clean it from any dirt and then put the band-aid over it. Then he followed the brat.

Said brat currently peeked on his map and frowned. Theo snickered. “Aw, lost your way? That’s unfortunate.”  
“You’re unfortunate,” Liam muttered and Theo laughed.   
“Weak comeback, brat, even for you.”  
“Shut the fuck up! I wasn’t looking for directions, there is only one path we can follow right now anyway!”  
True. The narrow path between the walls from the uphill was the only way. It was so narrow, they only could walk behind each other. Theo knew that as well but it was so fun to rile the other up.   
“You know, you guys always threat to shoot me but you realize I have guns of my own?” Liam asked and put a hand on one of his pistols while he glanced over his shoulder.   
Theo raised an eyebrow in challenge. “And would you? Shoot me?” He considered Dunbar all talk and no action so he kind of knew the answer but he really wanted to know what the guy would reply.   
Liam ground his teeth. “I don’t shoot people unless I have to,” he finally spat out and Theo snickered. He had been right.   
“Oh, the wannabe tomb raider has morals.”  
Dunbar stopped so suddenly Theo ran into him. He turned around. “I always had morals. Believe me, I know about my shortcomings and the things I did wrong. But I have some moral values I always try to uphold and won’t forget for people like you,” he stated earnestly. The look he gave Theo then made the hairs in the back of his neck stand up. Theo hated it when people looked at him as if they had figured him out. He wasn’t open and rarely let people in, not even his friends knew everything about him, and he liked the protective wall it brought with it. Especially in his line of work, Theo fared better with it. And to have the brat look at him as if he thought he found a way to peek behind the wall made Theo’s skin crawl. “The question is, do you have some?”  
Theo snorted. “My moral values are none of your concern,” he said dismissively and then grabbed Liam by the shoulders to turn him around. “Start walking again or we have to sleep in the middle of the freaking jungle.”

Liam even let himself get manhandled for once and walked into the direction Theo had steered him into.   
They walked for a while until the path turned wider again and they could walk next to each other. The stone walls still surrounded them but the path deviated to the left and they had no choice but to follow.   
And then they walked around the corner and suddenly faced a sculpture of six persons, all women. Every woman was engraved in the stone wall and the attention to detail was formidable. Theo let out a low whistle and raised a hand to stroke over the intricate forms on their dresses.   
“The artwork is meticulous. The artist even got the folding of the dresses,” he muttered in admiration while he blinked in the artfully crafted stone faces. The whole carving was larger than any human and went over the whole wall, it must have taken a long time to finish it. The women, Theo realized, were the same as on the paintings they had found in the building yesterday. The daughters stood with their hands folded as if they were about to receive a gift and the mother had her hands raised as if he was preaching to them. Above her head flowed an oval object with artful forms on both ends. Theo frowned. “Is that...?”  
“The Mirror of Origin,” Liam confirmed. “That’s the exact same form Ferguson had once scribbled down on his notes.” 

He laughed and pumped his fist in joy. “I knew we were on the right track!” In a swift motion, he had pulled his camera from his backpack and took pictures of the artwork. “I found some notes regarding this family. They are described as _blessed by the gods_. Know what else has this attribute?”  
“The Mirror of Origin?” Theo didn’t even really ask, it was crystal clear at this point. Liam still nodded and continued to snap pictures.   
“So this family is what? The guardians of the mirror?”  
Liam hummed. “For now, let’s call them that, yes. Though I don’t think Ferguson ever mentioned a family in his records. Have to check this again when we're at the village. Have to check in with Mason as well.”  
Though Theo was sure the last part had more been Liam talking to himself, he could not resist answering. “Who’s Mason? Your boyfriend?”  
“Best friend.” Liam gave him an annoyed look. “Though this is none of your business. But I don’t have a boyfriend. And no girlfriend either.”  
“Shocker, no one wants to date the little Ivy League brat. Why am I not surprised?”  
“Oh, and you have a wife and kid to come home to every night?” Liam asked and rolled his eyes.  
“I don’t want a relationship. I’m good as single. I would be a great whiskey. Relationships are just pesky.”  
“Says only the one who can’t get any.”  
Theo scoffed. “Oh, believe me, I get enough. Men and women if you must know.”  
“What do you mean...Oh god.” Liam retched. “Dude, gross, why would you tell me that?” He stuffed his camera in his back again and stalked away from Theo. The mercenary snickered but followed him.   
“Thought you might want to know not everybody is as lonely as you are. Don’t you have enough money to buy yourself a relationship? I’m sure there are people who would love spending all your money and give you sex in return.”  
“That’s called a sugar baby. Do you know so much about it since it was your first job? Oh sorry, that would actually mean you’re pretty. And you’re not.”  
Okay, that little bastard could call him names all he wanted but he was not allowed to insult Theo’s looks. Theo knew he was pretty, okay? He shoved Liam in retaliation. “Fucker! I am attractive!”  
“Meh,” Liam said and made a vague hand movement. “I’ve seen better.”

Theo scoffed and decided to change the topic. “Well, what’s your plan? I’m sure your little brain is already rattling with the newfound information. Let me tell you in advance, if you continue stopping every two minutes to inspect something, I will drag you to the village by your hair if I must. You’re slow.”  
“I’m detailed,” Liam defended himself.   
“Brat, even a turtle moves faster than you. And turtles don’t move fast.”  
Liam just scoffed. “I traveled to Peru before and I already was on the track to find the mirror. Only to learn that Ferguson lied for whatever reason. Looking back at my expedition, I neglected so many things that now I’m double as detailed and now I want to turn every stone. If this is too slow for you, fine, leave me behind. I’m sure Vera will understand.”

Theo wanted to agree, take the easy way out and just leave him be. Liam had offered it himself, Theo just could take it. But he set his jaw.   
“I can’t.”  
“Why not? I’m used to working alone and I can always meet Insight later at the village. I surely don’t need three bodyguards. I’m better off working alone anyway.”  
“Vera won’t like it.”  
Liam glanced at him and again Theo felt like the other was able to see right through him. It probably was the blue of his eyes, that made him seem deeper than he actually was. Because if you asked Theo, that guy was as shallow as a kiddie pool.  
“She has a good grip on you all. Dare I say you are afraid of her? Why is that? That woman doesn’t even carry a gun.”  
“She does. In her boot. A tiny pistol but she can shoot you with it,” Theo shared with Liam. “Listen, she is the boss. I’m aware you are not familiar with how an organization works but we have a hierarchy. She is our boss so we do as he says. And she gave my team and myself the order to accompany you. Trust me, I would love to leave you here, in the middle of the jungle, but she would freak out. You’re not worth the trouble.”  
“Hm.” Liam moved his head slightly while he pondered on it then he just began walking again. Theo blinked. He honestly had expected the younger to argue once more. 

When Theo finally walked up to him again, Liam fiddled with his map again. “The jungle mission is here, the village there. We are somewhere in this area I think and there was the building we almost drowned in.” He marked the points on the map. “Our usual route would have been there but now I think....”   
Theo glanced over at the map and then looked around.   
“I see a mountain in the distance. With our usual route, we would have rounded it from the right but now we might have a chance to round it from the left. It might even save us some time,” he realized and now it was his turn to point at the map.   
Liam nodded. “We could even be faster than your two friends.”  
“Already told you they’re not my friends, we just work together.”   
“How could I forget that? The big guy doesn’t have friends, right.”   
Theo really didn’t like how cheeky the other was. And his only way of retaliation was to either snark back or shove him. Which he did now again. Liam stumbled and hissed. Theo grinned. It was childish but the guy had started it all so Theo saw no use in being the bigger person.  

The brat now ducked under a tree trunk growing over the path they were on and right when Theo followed him, he heard a shriek. It was on impulse that Theo reached out and grabbed the other by his backpack and pulled him back. It saved Liam from tumbling down yet another uphill. This time, however, his fall would have been more hurtful cause this declension was bold but even worse, on the bottom of the uphill rusty spears soared from the muddy ground. Dunbar would have been Swiss Cheese after tumbling down.   
He now peaked over the ledge and breathed heavily. “Shit.”  
“Indeed,” Theo confirmed and let Liam go after he was sure the other was standing safely on his own two feet. “Can you be a bit more careful?”  
“How was I suppose to know the path would narrow even more after ducking under a tree trunk?”  
“We’re in the motherfucking jungle. Every step could be our last.”   
He slipped past Liam, careful to stay away as far from the ledge as possible.   
“Anyway, thanks,” Dunbar mumbled behind him and Theo shrugged.   
“Don’t get soft on me now. Let’s get going.”  
He heard Liam shuffling behind him and then how he followed. Good. At least, he didn’t feel the need to discuss this now and they could continue their path. Theo didn’t know what waiting for them around the next curve but he had to be prepared for everything. Wild animals, deadly traps, the whole nine yards. And again he hoped Dunbar would be more action than talk when it came to firing guns. Theo was still not very convinced the guy could handle himself in a fight. So far he might have managed to get them out of a trap he led them into in the first place and ran away from a jaguar but that about was it. In Theo’s book, Dum-bar had been just lucky. 

Crumbled walls from an old building, covered with plants and moss and worn down by weather and time appeared in front of him. Theo marched through some smaller bushes and they stood in the inner yard of the building. A roofed corridor had been built all around the atrium, some parts of the roof had already crashed down but it was enough to give Theo an idea how people wandered through it and enjoyed the plants inside the atrium probably. Right in the middle of it stood a beautifully crafted stature, again made from stone, and the details were impressive again. Various vessels in front of the statue held various treasures; from gems and colorful stones to gold, everything was there. It almost looked like it had been a place of worship.  
“Was this a temple? If yes, what kind of goddess was she?” Theo stepped to the statue and examined her stony face.   
“Not a temple for a god but a sacred place indeed.” Liam stepped next to Theo. “The people around must have worshiped her. And you know who that is? The mother of the family we already encountered. Watch this.” He held up his camera where he had the pictures he had taken earlier on display. He was right, the same facial features.   
Theo looked up at the statue again and once more marveled at the details of face and dress. Even the hair was meticulously worked so you saw single strands. The mother held bother hands up, palms facing the sky, and smiled kindly at anyone approaching her statue.   
“Hey, do you see that?” Theo nudged Liam. “The stone on her left hand looks a little off. It’s not the exact same color as the rest of the statue.”  
Liam glanced up and pursed his lips. And then he held out his own hand for Theo to take. When the older just stared at him, he looked at Theo and then rolled his eyes. 

“Stop looking at me like I proposed to you. I don’t want to hold hands with you but I need a hold,” he mumbled. When Theo still reacted too slowly for Dunbar’s liking, he groaned and grabbed Theo’s hand. He put his foot on the statue’s leg and then pushed himself up. Due to the hold he had on Theo, it was easier for him.   
“Excuse me, what are you doing? You can’t climb an old statue. Don’t you have any respect?” Theo hissed. He had done a lot of things to ancient artifacts but he never used one as a personal climbing wall.   
“Relax,” Liam just said and continued climbing until he reached the statue’s hand. He tilted his head and then felt around before he pressed down on the hand in a handshake.   
The hand moved slightly under the light pressure and suddenly snapped off to reveal a rolled document hidden in a cavity inside her arm. Liam whooped and slowly pulled the document out. Thankfully it worked without problems cause the moment he had extracted the roll, the hand snapped back. Theo snickered at the shocked sound the brat made but then helped Liam down the statue again. 

On solid ground again, Liam rolled out the document he had found while Theo peeked over his shoulder. It was an old map to an area Theo knew he saw once but couldn’t immediately recall. Liam didn’t fare any better and he frowned.   
“This is so old, it doesn’t necessarily mean the area still looks like this, right? But maybe some larger landmarks or something? I count four temples. One, two, three. four. Some mountains, there’s a river. But where is this area?”  
Theo tilted his head and then he pointed at something at the lower border of the map. “That seems to be a village. Wait a second! I think I know this.” He pulled out his own GPS and opened the map. Comparing the route of the river, he tried to match the two maps and finally succeeded. “See that? The village down below on the old map is the village Vera is waiting for us in. And see those ruins on the new map? They’re literally right next to the temples form the old one.” Theo pressed a button and the map projected in front of them. Liam held the old map beneath the projection so they could really see both maps showed the same area.   
“But that doesn’t make any sense. If those ruins are already found, wouldn’t it make more sense for the temples to also be found?” He questioned.   
But Theo was sure he was right. “Not necessarily. Not when those old temples are beneath the new ruins. There are many places in South America where one building was built over another one. If nobody dug deep enough - probably because they didn’t know what they were looking for and had to dig deeper - the temples are still there, still untouched by humans since hundreds of years.”   
“That makes sense.” Liam nodded. “We need to get to the village as fast as possible.”  
Theo nodded as well. “Yeah.” 

For probably the first time, they actually had the same goal. Vera would be over the moon when they told her what they found. It would perhaps give Theo a nice bonus. His co-workers could get lost.   
And again, Theo felt the tingle of excitement running through his veins. They were on the right track and had taken a large step closer to the Mirror of Origin. This was huge. And he was part of it. It felt unreal and oh so wonderful. This was the reason he had accepted a job with Insight. The joy of finding old artifacts lost for hundreds of years. It was always a thrill. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy weekend guys! I hope you all are fine and enjoy some lazy days! It still amazes me to see people liking this story. I know I took my time with the third chapter but I hope it was worth the wait. Writing Liam and Theo constantly fighting with each other and bickering is fun. And Theo being an asshole is just the best! I am having a field day with that one!
> 
> As always, comments, suggestions, and wishes are welcome. Share your thoughts with me in the comments. 
> 
> ♥

**Author's Note:**

> The Thiam Tomb Raider AU finally got off the ground. After I made an edit for this AU, I now finally found the time and motivation to start with this story. I am excited and since I’m currently replaying the last three Tomb Raider games I’m also very inspired. So I hope you liked the first chapter and are curious about chapter 2. Tell me what you think in the comments! 
> 
> Love you all!


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